AMBROSIY ZHDAKHA’S CREATIVE COLLABORATION WITH PROMINENT UKRAINIAN FIGURES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54662/veresen.2.2025.09Keywords:
Ambrosii Zhdakha, artistic activity, creative collaboration, cultural elite, fine art, historical and ethnographic themes, illustrationsAbstract
In the context of the history of Ukrainian fine art, the work of the artist Ambrosii Zhdakha occupies a special place. His bright heritage is marked by a unique author’s style. A significant artistic heritage has not yet been fully explored, but it is already distinguished by its special flavor in the national tradition. The creative collaboration of Ambrosii Zhdakha with leading figures of Ukraine makes a significant contribution to the development of national culture and art. Interaction between Zhdaha and prominent Ukrainian representatives contributed to the emergence of new ideas and approaches to artistic activity, which significantly affected the country’s artistic landscape. Through joint projects and knowledge exchange, this partnership has allowed for the expansion of the boundaries of creativity, reflecting the collective spirit in the Ukrainian cultural heritage. The scientific and journalistic article, based on a wide range of sources, explores the creative activity of the prominent figure of the steppe region Ambrosii Andriiovych Zhdakha (1855–1927), associated with the Ukrainian cultural revival in the region in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. For the first time, the importance of Ambrosii Andriiovych Zhdakha’s creative cooperation with prominent figures of science and culture of Ukraine, the main purpose of which was to spread and preserve Ukrainian identity through the visual arts, was emphasized. His artistic activity as an illustrator and active ambassador of Ukrainian history and culture, which manifested itself in cooperation with prominent Ukrainian figures, is analyzed in detail. Such interaction contributed to the development of social and cultural processes in the steppe region. The author emphasizes the creative ties of Ambrosii Zhdakha with leading representatives of the cultural elite of the southern region. Ambrosii Zhdakha made a great effort to immortalize the national memory and spirit of the Ukrainian people in art. His unique illustrations, executed in a historical and ethnographic style, perfectly complemented famous works of art, scientific research, and folk songs. At the turn of the XIX–XX centuries, the artist made a breakthrough in the field of book design and cover design for periodicals. The artist proposed the use of Ukrainian ornaments and original font solutions, which became a significant contribution to the development of the national style in art. His illustrations for musical works and folk songs continued the line of development of ethno-cultural traditions in Ukrainian art. The year 2025 will mark the anniversary of the 170th anniversary of the birth of Ambrosii Zhdakha, a prominent Ukrainian artist. Today, it is extremely important to celebrate and preserve the creative heritage of the creator, whose work is inextricably linked to Ukrainian culture and forever immortalized the unique traditions and spirit of the Ukrainian people of a century and a half ago in the visual arts.
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